Ship prefix

A ship prefix are letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of a
civilian ship or man'o'war (naval ship).

Ship prefixes in the United States Navy have consistently been "United
States Type," where Type was "Ship," "Sloop," "Bark," and so on. (The types
other than "Ship" have fallen out of use.) Hull classification symbols --
"BB" for battleships and so on -- were haphazard, but in 1907 were
standardized by executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Table of Ship Prefixes

    Country          Service          Prefix              Meaning
 generic       all                 MV           Motor Vessel
 generic       all                 PS           Paddle Steamer
 generic       all                 SS           |Steam Ship
 generic       all                 SV           Sailing Vessel

 Argentina     Argentine Navy      ARA          Armada de la Republica
                                                Argentina

 Australia     Royal Australian    HMAS         His/Her Majesty's
               Navy                             Australian Ship

 Bahamas       ??                  HMBS         His/Her Majesty's Bahamian
                                                Ship
 Bangladesh    ??                  BNS          Bangladesh Naval Ship
 Belgium       ??                  BNS          Belgium Naval Ship

 Canada        Canadian Forces     HMCS         His/Her Majesty's Canadian
               Maritime Command                 Ship
                                   HDMS         His/Her Danish Majesty's
 Denmark       Royal Danish Navy   (Danish:     Ship (Danish: Kongelige
                                   KDM)         Danske Marine)

 France        French Navy         FS           French Ship (NATO
                                                designation)

 German Empire Kaiserliche Marine  SM U-##      Seiner MajestŠt
                                                Unterseeboot
 German Empire Kaiserliche Marine  SMS          Seiner MajestŠt Schiff

 Germany       Bundesmarine        FGS          Federal German Ship (NATO
                                                designation)
 Great Britain Ships carrying mail RMS          Royal Mail Ship

 Great Britain Royal Fleet         RFA          Royal Fleet Auxiliary
               Auxiliary
 Great Britain Royal Navy          HMS          His/Her Majesty's Ship

 Great Britain Government research RRS          Royal Research Ship
               ships

 Greece        Hellenic Navy       HS           Hellenic Ship (NATO
                                                designation)

 India         Indian Navy         HMINS        His/Her Majesty's Indian
               (pre-Republic)                   Naval Ship
 India         Indian Navy         INS          Indian Naval Ship
 Israel        Israeli Navy        INS          Israeli Naval Ship

 Japan         Imperial Japanese   HIJMS        His Imperial Japanese
               Navy                             Majesty's Ship
 Japan (after  Japanese Maritime
 WWII)         Self Defense Force  JDS          JMSDF Defense Ship

 Malaysia      Royal Malaysian     KD           Kapal Di-Raja - His
               Navy                             Majesty's Ship
                                   HNLMS        His/Her Majesty's
 Netherlands   Royal Netherlands   (Dutch:      Netherlands Ship (Dutch:
               Navy                Hr.Ms. or    Hare Majesteit's or Zijne
                                   Z.Ms.)       Majesteit's)

 New Zealand   Royal New Zealand   HMNZS        His/Her Majesty's New
               Navy                             Zealand Ship

 Norway        Royal Norwegian     KNM          Kongelige Norske Marine
               Navy

 Norway        Norwegian Coast     KV           Kystvakt
               Guard
 Pakistan      Pakistani Navy      PNS          Pakistani Naval Ship
 Peru          Peruvian Navy       BAP          Buque Armada Peruana

 Philippines   Philippine Navy     BRP          Barka ng Republika ng
                                                Pilipinas
                                                Polish Republic Naval Ship
 Poland        Polish Navy         ORP          (Polish:
                                                Okr?t Rzeczypospolitej
                                                Polskiej)

 Saudi Arabia  Saudi Navy          HMS          His Majesty's Ship -- the
                                                same as the Royal Navy

 Singapore     Republic of         RSS          Republic of Singapore Ship
               Singapore Navy
 South Africa  South African Navy  SAS          South African Ship
 United States U.S. Navy           USS          United States Ship

 United States U.S. Navy Military  USNS         United States Naval Ship
               Sealift Command

 United States U.S. Coast Guard    USCGC        United States Coast Guard
                                                Cutter

 Uruguay       ??                  ROU          Republica del Oriental
                                                Uruguay

Occasionally writers will prefix a ship's name with an abbreviation of its
nationality in their own language, such as "IJN" for Teikoku Nihon Kaigun,
but that usage is deprecated.

In the Royal Netherlands Navy, "HNLMS" is the prefix in English, but in
Dutch translates to "Hr.Ms." or "Z.Ms.". Thus "Hr.Ms." should never be used
in an English document; nevertheless it is often seen on the World Wide Web.

United States ships that have not been commissioned in the Navy yet don't
hold the title of USS, it holds the title of PCU (Pre-commissioned unit) For
example, the shipyard is building the new aircraft carrier-- The Neversail.
For the day the keel is laid to the date it is commissioned, it is called
the PCU Neversail. Once it enter active service in the fleet and is
commissioned it will be referred to as the USS Neversail.

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